The Real Deal New York

Another niche gym grabs Manhattan space

The Fhitting Room, a boutique fitness studio that focuses on high-intensity training in small classes, has inked a deal to open its second location in Manhattan. It’s the latest in a string of alternative work-out providers expanding their retail presences in Manhattan.

The studio, founded by Kari Saitowitz, recently completed a deal to take 5,500 square feet at 31 West 19th Street in the Flatiron District, adding to its existing location on the corner of 80th Street and Lexington Avenue. The space, which was marketed by Ross Burack and Kelly Gedinsky of Winick Realty, has ground and lower-level space and was previously home to a nightclub.

Christine Traina and Nicole Hechter of Douglas Elliman represented the Fhitting Room in the deal, which was completed earlier this month. The gym is currently scouting further outposts in other neighborhoods, Traina said, but declined to comment on specifics.

The Fhitting Room joins other fitness studios and niche gyms like Cross Fit, Barry’s Bootcamp and Soul Cycle which are rapidly expanding in the city and competing for similar spaces. Both Barry’s and Soul Cycle have locations within two blocks of the Fhitting Room’s new digs.

“We have not experienced any competitive bid situations to date, although that wouldn’t be surprising in the future with the rapid growth of fitness venues in New York City,” Saitowitz said.

These alternative studios seek out spaces very different from the mammoth floor plates targeted by traditional gyms like Crunch and New York Sports Club. The Fhitting Room is looking for spaces totaling between 2,500 and 4,000 square feet which are mostly free of interior columns, Saitowitz said. Those spaces also must be visible from street level as a branding and marketing tool, she said.

The 19th Street space, between Fifth and Sixth avenues, is owned by Pan Asian Estate, a landlord which owns several spaces on the same street, Burack said. He noted that the asking rent for the space was $145 a foot but declined to comment on the official taking rent.